WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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The wheel of wearth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.
Parade.
As ha a already been announced, the annual parade of commercial motor vehicles organized by the C.IVI.U.A. with the object of encouraging drivers to take a. personal interest in the driving and condition of their vehicles and to run them without accident, will be held in London on,Satunday afternoon of next week, April 10th, the parade ground being Lincoln's Inn Fields, an eminently suitable spot for a parade of modest dimensions, as must necessarily be the case this year. The total number of entries amount to 174 vehicles, or 29 teams, each of six vehicles. Unfertunately, however, Messrs. Pickfords find that the notice is too short to enable them to prepare any machine for the parade, and their two teams will probably not be able to compete. The Gas Light and Coke Co. has entered nine teams; Messrs. Schweppes, Ltd., three teams, and the following have enteredsone team apiece :—General Post Office, British and Argentine Meat Co., Ltd., British Vacuum Cleaner Co., Bryant and May, Ltd., Cannon and Gaze. Ltd., Gardner, Lockett and Hinton, Higgs and Hill, John Knight, Ltd., McNamara and Co:, • Ltd., Moreland, Rayne and Co., Ltd., " Shell " Marketing Co., Ltd.; South Metsepolitan Gas Co., Sun Flour Mills Co., John Travers and Sons, Ltd.; and the Westminster City Council.
Tilling Capital Increase.
'Thomas Tilling, Ltd., are holding an extraordinary general meeting tomorrow, March 31st, when the following resolutions will be propesed: That the capital, of the company be increased from £675,000 to. £1,000,000 by the creation of 325,000 new shares of £1 each; that the sum of £154,424 (part of the undivided profits of the company) be capitalized and be appropriated amongst the holders of the 154,424 ordinary sharessof thecompany.
Copenhagen Show.
At the recently-held motor exhiration at the Tivoli Gardens, at Copenhagen, a 'nnmhereof motor vehicles were shown. Twenty-six of these were .of American make, 6 German, 5 British, .5 Danish and Swedish, 3 French, 1 Italian, and 1 Austrian. A number of tractors were alsoeto be seen in the grounds.
In the lorry 4ection, Guy, Leyland, Thornycroft, and Daimler vehicles were exhibited.
C.M.U..A. Report.
The annual report (the 16th of the series) of the Commercial Motor Users' Association, has been published. It is an 8pp. cloetunent which should be examined carefully bythelowneriof every commercial vehicle of whatever size, because the Association is doing extraordinarily good Work for the .road motor transport in dustry. The Association ishows great enterprise and an abundance of initiative, and its operations are extended every
where throughout the country. It is endeavouring to co-ordinate the freight exchanges and the vehicle clearing houses which are scattered everywhere, and its
do success in this direction is sure to make for a higher efficiency in road transport.. The value of the Association's work in conducting the "extraordinary traffic" test. action will be extreme, for whatever may be the outcome of the action itself the way will be paved for legislation in the future which shall eliminate the present anomaly of the law, which, as everyone knows, tend to restrict development of the replacement of horse vehicles by commercial motor vehicles. This case has already cost £7,500, and the next step in the case is the appeal to the House of Lords.
, The income of the Association for the year 1919 was E6,873, the expenditure being over £115 short. The available funds at the end of the year were £820.
Clayton Municipal Orders.
The popularity of the steamer for municipal work is emphasized by the orders which have recently been placed with Clayton and Shuttleworth, Ltd., by the Devon C.C., the Elland U.D.C., the Redrlitch U.D.C., the West Riding of Yorkshire C.C. the Dundee CC., the Northampton ie., and the Derby B.C. (two).
Railway Electrification.
A committee has been appointed by the Minister of Transport to consider and report to him on the question of electrification of railways, for the purpose of advising him as: to the advantages to be secured from uniformity of equipment, the interchange of electric lecomotives and rolling stock, and the desirability of altering such railways, or sections of railways, already electrified, so; that they may form parts of a unified system.
Our next issue will be on sale on Wedinesday next, April 7th, one day later than usual.
The Ford Co. from the beginning of April will commence delivery of Cat's , and lorries at the rate of 25 per day from its works now being installed at Cadiz.
The new series of omnibus services established in Herefordshire a fortnight ago is already proving of great utility to the district, which hitherto has seriously lacked local transport facilities. We hope in our next issue to give-some details of the services.
• In our resume of patents in last week's issue we dealt briefly with patent No.138,565 in the name of Mr. Gavin C. Goodhmt. Our contributor therein stated that Mr. Goodharti was an American, bet he writes to say that he is not American but British, and he further traverses the statement that the differential described in his specification has been in use in any country prior to the specification being made public here. Mr. Goodhart tells us that the original idea of using a differential of low mechanise! efficiency to prevent wheel sPin, and other disadvantages, is a Britia, invention. as it is covered by his, patent ,No. 27,123 of 1911.
Electric Starters:
We are favoured with a very cordial letter from the editor of oar New York contemporary The Commercial Vehicle —an enterprising and interesting journal which it is always a pleasure to receive and to read—pointing out an inaccuracy which appeared in our article on "American Truck Statistics," appearing in The • Commercial Motor for January 20th. In dealing with the employment of the electric starter systems on the commercial vehicles in the States, we said that this wee growing rapidly% a,s "no fewer than 85 makers were fitting it to 237 models, pr about one half of the total." The editor of our contemporary now tells_ u$ that these figures applied actually to electric systems and covered, not only starting systems, but lighting systems and combination lighting and ignition systems, $9 that as a matter of fact Only a small number of American "trucks'! are fitted with starters, although this n-umber is increasing consistently front year to year. We regret the error which arose from a misreading of the–information from our American source
Ploughing a London Park.
During the remainder of this week the demonstration of soil cultivation in Regent's Park will be continued by Britiali and American models of the Wallis Juniortractors, the contract for the work of reclaiming the 50 or -60 acres of land which have been badly trampled on and compressed during the occupation of the park by the military authorities having been placed in the hands of , the Ancona Motor Co. The English model of the Wallis Junior is four. wheeled, and has been made by Messrs. Ruston, Hornsby, Ltd., and is therefore an important addition to the list
of British-made tractors. This is its first testing, and its performances will be very closely watched. In design it closely fellows the line of the Americanbuilt Wallis Junior, but has four wheels
instead of three. Some surprising results have been obtained on the dynamometer tests, the drawbar pull of the new machines averaging as high as 2,900 lb.
Motors at Lincoln Races.
Not for 30 years has Lincoln seen such a tremendous influx of traffic to the city as took place last Wednesday for the "Handicap" Day of the first flat race meeting of theseason. The famous Carholme course was literally packed with sight-seers over the whole length of the straight mile ; whilst, behind the Tattersall Ring on the south side of the course, motorcars, buses, lorries, and cliars4elsaries could be counted in hundreds. They were streaming into the city all the. morning from Nottingham, Doncaster, Sheffield-, Leeds, Bradford, Hull, Grimsby, etc.
By the side of the Saxilby Road fer one whole mile in length chars-a-banes lay close together by the iron railings opposite the track. The occupants stood on the seats and the bonnets, whilst the great race was run. •
New Electric Vehicle.
Supplementing Derby's already varied manufacturing resources, a new industry is being established in the town, by which Newton Bros., Ltd., electrical engineers, are to undertake the manufacture of commercial vehicles, for which purpose considerable extensions to their Mansfield Road Works are to be cairied out. Operations are designed to he carried out on a large scale. All
the vehicles are to be of the electricallypropelled type, and they will be made in various sizes: The company's prospects are regarded as highly favourable, the probability of support being indicated by the large number of enquiries already received from various parts of the country, many orders in hand being received from
municipalities, including that . of Derby, which placed an order for two of the new vehicles
New Berna Co.
Berua, Lorries, Ltd., has been formed for the purpose of giving effect to the arrangement. arrived at between the existing Berna companies. The capital is £350,000 in ordinary Shares of £1 each, of which 240,000 were last week offered for subscription, at par. .The capital of the company will 'be apportioned as follows :—£73,000 in cash (1,545,000 Swiss francs at 21.10, present rate being 21.85) and £30,000 in fully paid up shares, for the purchase of 51 per cent. of the total share capital of P`abrique d'Autornobiles, Berne, S.A.; P.30,000 in fully paid up shares,for the purchase of 60 per cent, of the total ordinary share capital of British Berne, Motor Lorries, Ltd. £50,000 in fully paid up shares for the Purchase of the trade marks and rights to manufacture and sell Berme lorries in all countries except Switzerland.
Motorbuses v. Municipal Trams.
_Municipal citizenship, proud of its trams, has kept the motorbus from its proper place in the traffic of many northern towns. But the congestion of the trams has caused the Watch Committee of Manchester to licence $ service rrf privately owned motorbuses for Shudehill in the heart of the city to the suburb of Harpurhey. On the way this is operated depends the encouragement given to applications for services on other routes. So far the only motorbuses about Manchester have been those owned by the Corporation to connect the districts of Cheadle and Northenden with the tram terminus near Didsbury. At the same meeting of the Watch Committee that sanctioned the first motorbus service in the city permission was accorded a charfl-bones proprietor to start a daily motor service to Blackpool from Peter Square or Stevenson Squere..
Buses for Barbados.
A letter has been received by the Department of Overseas leade, 4, Queen Anne's Gate Buildings, Old Queen Street, S.W.1.,. from a cqrapany in Barbados asking to be put into communication with British manufacturers of motor omnibuses.
It ie stated that the tramway system in Barbados, which is American-owned and provides a service of mule-drawn cars, is so unsatisfactory that a number of prominent business men have decided that the beat way to meet the situation is to form a motorbus operating company, and the company in question has been commissioned to inquire what is the most euitable type of vehicle to employ.
It is further stated that the roads in Barbados are rough and the driving somewhat difficult, and on this account it is thought. that a bus of the singledeck type may be found most suitable.
There is also a demand for motor hr ries emitable for hauling sugar cane from plantation to factory. British manatee.. turere can obtain further particulars from the address given above.
The Pierce-Arrow Co. has established a new company in France with a capital of two million _francs.
• The Shell Marketing Co., Ltd., is asking the L.C.C. to give approval to a site for The storage of about 200,000 gallons of petroleum spirit at Bridge Wharf, Harrow Road, Paddington.
A Fiat tractor secured the first prize and a gold medal at the Indian Gov'ernment Agricultural Trials held a few weeks ago at Nagpur. The machine was shown by Mr. J. N. Walford, consalting ensiineer, on behalf of A. Milton and Co., a Calcutta, who a-re the Indian agents for Fiat productions.
Personal Pars.
Mr. N. Coekshutt has recently been e appointed to take over the management of the new depot in Cape Town for Leyland Motors, Ltd. He sails for South Africa this month. Mr. Cockshutt was educated at Stoneyhurst College, and served his apprenticeship with the Leyland Company before the war. In 1914 he joined the. Army, and subsequently obtained a commission in the M.T., R.A.S.C., where later he held the rank of captain, He rejoined the Leyland Co.. in 1919.
Mr. F. J. Copping, the solid tyre sales manager for the amalgamated concern of Woad-Milne, Ltd., and George Spencer Moulton, Ltd., is a very energetic and breezy type of man. He was first connected with the motor', trade with the introduction of Ford cars into this country, when he was associated with the firm of Perry, Thornton and Schreiber. His first connection with tyres was with the patent pneumatic tyre known as theMogul in 1909. He then joined. theContinental Tyre Co. as assistant sales manager and chief London representative. He joined Wood-Milne, Ltd., in December, 1914, as tyre sales manager in Manchester.
North Devon New Coast Road.
The new coast road between Ilfracombe and Combe Martin, which has been reconstructed after the landslide early in 1918, has jurot been formally reopened. The new road is on the land side of Napps Hill, much further inland than was the former road, and the distance between Ilfracombe and Combo Martin is thus shortened by a quarter of a mile. The total cost is estimated at just over £5,000.
Disposal Board Personnel.
The names of -the chief officials of the Motor Transport Section of the Disposal Board are as follow : Meisrs. G. S. Spurrier, controller ; A. L. Hanna, deputy controller; J. R. Kelly, assistant controller (sales); F. Strickland, assistant controller (technical); M. T. Perkins, section director in charge contracts accounts and statistics; St. J. H. Headley, section director (sales); L. C. Munn), section director (technical); S. Denby Jones, section director (agricultural machinery sales), R. P. Chalmers, section directcir (valuations); L. Y. Barnby, sub-section director (contracts, accounts and statistics).
Edinburgh's Buses.
certain amount of talk has arisen in Edinburgh over the decision of the Tramway Committee of the Edinburgh T.C. to get part of its proposed fleet of buses from the Leyland Co., the point being that the convener of the committee is Councillor Sleigh, -who is managing director of the Rossleigh Co., the Edinburgh agents for the Leyland Co. There is an ordinance of the Tramway Committee which says that no concern of which a member of' the Council is an official shall furnish goods.or execute any
work for the corporation. Mr. Sleigh, however, has made it quite-clear that, although he is an agent (using the word in a complimentary sense) for the Leyland Co., he is not an official of the company; moreover, the vehieles are not being supplied through him at all, but through the Scottish branch of the Ley land Co. located in Glasgow.
Argentine Agriculture..
An English edition of the programme of rules of the International Live •Stock Exhibition; to be held at Palmer°, Buenos Aires, under the auspice of the 'Argentine Rural Society, from "Septerriber 4th to .12th, can he seen at the Department of Overseas Trade, 35,. Old Queen Street, Westminster, SW..
The annual exhibition of thisdeocietv, which this year is to be international, , is an event which , has a world-wide reputation. Certain space in the show grounds is allotted for the display of agricultural machinery and other faim
in and for thili reason British manufacturers will be well advised to avail .themselves of the excellent. opportunity which the erthibition affords.
Applications for space must he presented to theArg.entine Rural Society not latethan pile month before the opening day.!' . • For Those in Need.
" Premier" policy holders in the London districts now have the advantage of a prompt and efficient repair service. A special breakdown lorry, including all the necessary appliances to deal immediate)y with any kind of acci
dent, is garaged at the Highfield Garage, Golder's. Green Rod, ready for immediate despatch to the scene of any accident within a 20-mile radius from Charing Crass, A telephone message to Finchley 778 secures the services of this breakdown lorry, which, in addition to being fully equipped from a 'mechanical point of view, has also a first aid, outfit, and can render any forth of service required by a car-owner in difficulty.
• Bradbury Report
Bradbury and Co., Ltd., 'Wellington Works, Oldham, ' manufacturers ' of engineers' tools and motorcycles, hive recently issued their balance sheet for the fa months ending December 3Tet, 1919. It shows a net profit of £10,402 after making • allowance for interest, depreciation, and income tax. This sum, together with £10,442 brought forward from the June, 1918, account, makes a disposable balance of £20,844. £11,268 of this amount has eh-early heen paid out in dividends. The final di trilm C12 bon making 10 per cent, per, annum on each elaess of shares leaves £5,076 to be carried forward.
-Motorbuses and Road • Maintenance.
Just after we had closed our last issue for press, Sir Henry Maybury, of the Mirustry of Transport, made an important statement before 'the Select Committee of the 'house of Commons with regard to the position taken up by the Ministry of Transport in connection with the use -of county and other roads by motorbuses.
The Leigh Corporation, like a number of other local authorities, are seeking powers under a Bill now before the Select Committee to run motorbuses in their own and outside districts, and they ate beingstrongly opposed, amongst others, by the "Lancashire C.C. on the question of the cost of reconstructing and'tnaintaining the roads.
After conelderation, said Sir -Henry. Maybury, the Minister of Transport was of opinion that a maximum of, say, 1id. per bus ,mile should be paid in all such cases for Maintenance. purpose's. With regard to adaptation charges for making the roads suitable for this particitar kind ofItraffic, the Minister considered that a clauee should be inserted in such Bills providing for the payment of a maximum sum of -£700 per Toad-mile. In the matter of any difficulty arising the matter should he settled by an arbitretor appointed by the • Ministry of Transport Hitherto in ahl but special cases the maintosance contribution 'has been generally fixed at id. or Id. per bus mile.
War Vehicles for Road Building.
Approximately 24,0t0 motor vehicles, built originally for war purposes, have been turned ever to the 'Department of Agriculture by the. LISA. War Department for distribution among the State Highway Commissioneis for use in road building. /Weedy 127000 . have been delivered, certain States, and the
remainder will be distributed -so soon as railway rolling stock can be secured for their transportation. The use of there lorries promises to 'facilitate the carrying out of thelarge American road building programme for 1920.
1900-1920 Still Running.
The illustration which we publish on this page shows an old Leyland steamer with a remarkable record. This vehicle was delivered to Messrs. G. P. Green, Smith and Sons, corn millers, of Burtonon-Trent, in 1900. The subject of the photograph was taken a few days ,ago whilst the wagon was in the works of the Leyland Company for it periodical overhaul, which takes place every la months. Between these periods the makers are nottroubled for big replacements, and only minor. parts, such as • fire bars and gauge glasses, are /lewdsitionecl. The vehicle has been running continuously for 20 years, during which time only one breakdown has occurred, that was due to a broken erossheadepin. ' The average daily mileage of the vehicle is 35-, and the weight carried each day approximates 15 tons.
A point which makes the record all thb mote remarkable is the fact that the -machine has been driven by the same
man since jt was delivered. Its consistent running thus reflects credit on both the manufacturers of the vehicle
and ,the driver: .
Lorries Beat Railways.
An interesting experiment is in progress with the transport of goods between Buxton and Manchester, the Midland Railway Co. and the London and North-Western Railway Co. having the scheme in hand. Motor lorrier leave Manchester every morning for SCackport, where they un'oad and reload goods for the %intervening stations between' that point and Buxton. At each depot en route goods are taken up and dropped until, the lorries arrive in Buxton, where they are loaded for the return journey. By these Means goods reach their destination the same day, saving many hours in transeort and a large amount of rolling stock space at the same time.
American Exchange and Imported Lorry Prices.
In view of the rise in the exchange value of the £1 sterling in America, the system of business .adopted by Brame°, Ltd., Redford Fields, Coventry, with regard to Olson trucks and the other lines which the company are importing from America will be of intereat, • It provides for air automatic reduction iii their prices to the buyer with the rise in the rate of exchange. This system, which is Certainly unique, has now been ir. operation since the beginning of the year, anj is working very satisfactorily. The terms of business or the company on imported American and Canadian vehicles are as follow :—Orders for imported goods are not suleject to cancella tion. The prices. of TJ.S.A. goods are calculated at the rate of exchange of 4 dollars, and of Canadian goods of 4.25 dollar's to the £1, and in the event of the exchange' failing below these figures, the loss TS borne by the company down to 3.80' &oilers and 4 %dollars respectively. Sticuld it fall below this, it is borne by the customer, by the addition to the price of id. in the LI for each cent of fall, and should the rate of of exchange rise above 4 dollars and 4.25 dollars respectively, the price to the customer is reduced on the same basis.
Robey's Annual Meeting.
The annual meeting of shareholders of Robey and Co., Ltd., a summary of whose annual report appeared in our last issue, was held at Lincoln last week, when'Mr. A. Trotter, the chairman, expressed satisfaction with the result of the past year's working; which he observed had been achieved in the face of two periods of reRricted output, brought -about by the turning over from war to peace work and the moulders' strike. ThPtimes were very difficult in consequence of the high prices of material, the heavy wages list, and the burden (;lf extra taxation. Whilst admitting the fairness of the principle of -excess profits as a willr tax, he hoped that future taxation would be upon the basis of treating all equally upon their present results, without reference to any stairdard
of profits made before the war.
The report was adopted, a dividend of per cent, agreed to, and the chairman and Mr. C. Scorer re-elected as directors.
Linco'm Wagon and" Engine Co. Results.
Mr. A. C. New sum oresided at the recent annual meeting oi this company, when the directors' report was adooted, and it was decided toPdispose of the ba.ance of prone of £36.744i in the pa'. ment of a dividend equal to 10 per cent. for the year, leas income tax, plus a bonus of ed.. per share, adding £8,000 to the reserve fund, and carrying forward .14,490. Mr. H. E. Page, the retiring director, was re-elected.
New Companies. .
Simms Motor Units (1920), Ltd., has been formed with a capital of £120,000 in £1 shares, to take over the business of • Simms Motor Units, Ltd., and to carry on the business of manufacturers of and dealers in magnetos, magneto parts and aecassories, etc. A.13.C. Motors (1920), Ltd., has hen registered with a capital of £500,000 in £1 shares (250,000 preference) to carry on the business of manufacturers of and dealers in motor vehicle's, omnibuses, taxicabs, etc., and to adopt an agreement with A.B.C. Motors, Ltd. First directors are H. J. Whitcomb, J. Harper Bean, E. Noel, W. Yorke, and H. L. Charteris.
Nottingham Haulage Con . tractor's Organization.
Considerable progress has been made, since its formation in the early part of the year, by the Motor Haulage Contractors' Trade Section of the Nottingham ChamZer of Commerce, of which Mr. George Dalgleish has beet, elected as chairman and Mr. A. J. Savage as vieechairman, with Mr. W. Donaldson Wright, manager of the Transport Department of the Chamber, as eeerefary. The 'committee has recommended the members to support the National Benzoic Association by using benzoic produced in this country, the quality of which is guaranteed by the association, in preference to imported petrol.
'rile section has secured repre::entation on the Joint Industrial Committee for Transport Workers, and has thus been able to protect the interests of the.members, as affected by a demand for' increased wages which has been untie:, consideration. The following resolution has been passed and forwarded to the members :—" That this committee requests all members of theitsection to devote the whole of their energies to the work of the
Chamber of Commerce TranEport Department, and not to support local competitive. (nearing Houses, or any Clearing Houses established in the city by outside companies."
It may be that competition is wholesome, but the ChaMber is obviously wise in reeking to effect concentration upon its own work' which is being marked by substantial developments.
War Lorry Purchase Contracts.
Mr. Hope, in reply to a question from Brigadier-General Croft in the House of Commons last week, said that contracts of over £150,000:tfor the purchase of motor lorries had been made with the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., Leyland Motors, Ltd., the Mandslay Motor Co., Ltd., and Major H. D. Otto.
Aerial Transport.
Messrs. Blake and Co., the well-known motor agents and mail carriers, of Liverpool, have recently instituted a commercial aerial service, and have in use an Airo machine. Business has not been so plentiful as could be desired, and there -.seems to be a feeling that unless the Government leods assistance to the development of the aerial transfort industry, its immense possibilities and the experience of the last few years will have
been wasted. -t Loans for Motors.
The Health Ministry has sanctioned loans as follows :— Edmonton U.D.C., £7,520 for electric vehicles and motorvana. Hoylake and West Kirby U.D.C., £1,300 for a motor lorry. Authorities seeking sanction of -loans include :—
Accrington T.C., £2,190 for a motor fire-engine..
Birstall U.D.C., £1,150 for a lorry.
The Liverpool Corporation's motorbuses during the fortnight ending February ' 28th, travelled 25,990 Niles, carried 224,677 passengers, and realized in fares. £1,581. The figures last year corresponding to this period were approximately one-fifth.
Local Proceedings.
Lang Eaton U.D.C. to borrow £2,130 for the purchase of a motor fire-engine.
A motor fire-engine is to be purchased, at a cost of 2,150,. by Carlisle Corporation.
Wood Given U.D.C. has, decided to purchase motor vehicles for the collection of house refuse.
)he local Chamber of Trade has requested Addlestone Council to consider, the provision of anew motor fire-engine.
Lewisham B.C. has appointed a subcommittee, to consider the provision of motor vans to replace lour horsed disin
fecting vans.0
The Ministry of Health have recqived an application by Mansfield T.C. for sanction to borrow £1,800 for the purchase of a motor fire-engine.
Glasgow Corporation Health Committee has accepted the offer of the Louth Western Coach Works to supply two new chassis at £725 each.
The Central (Unemployed) Body has secured a • 3-ton Dennis motor lorry, in excellent condition, through the Disposals Board for £650. It is ,required for the Hallesey Bay Farm Colony. '
A steam wagon or petrol lorry to cost between £1,300 and £1,400 is recommended by .a committee of Lutterwoith • B.D.C.,
To avoid the cost of establishing a number of permanent . weighbridges, Swansea Corporation has decided to purchase a motor van, at a cost of £300, to carry a portable weighing machine.
Cleethorpes U.D.C. is applying for sanction to borrow £1,650 for the pur chase of a motor fire-engine, and £1,350 for motor lorries. A motor road sweeper is to be purchased for about £360.
In order to provide additional transport facilities for the large inerease in the population of Ilford which will follow the erection of thousands of new houses by the City Of London Corporation and.the L.C.C., the Ilford District Council. is considering the adoption of a system of electric omnibuses.